Watchdog closes another investigation into DAERA

The UK’s environment watchdog has closed another of its three investigations into Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). 

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) had already found that DAERA had failed comply with environmental law because it had missed the July 2023 statutory deadline for publishing an Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). The EIP was approved by the executive and published in September 2024, more than a year later than expected. The OEP said the approved EIP ended the breach of the law and it closed the investigation. 

The office’s role will now move to scrutiny the progress of the EIP. OEP chief executive Natalie Prosser said the plan was “crucial” in providing a road map to tackle environmental challenges such as the algal blooms in Lough Neagh. 

“Although the EIP’s publication marks the end of our investigation, it triggers the start of our legal duty to monitor and report on this government’s progress towards delivering its environmental goals laid out in its plan,” she said. 

“As part of our assessment, we will also examine the EIP’s effectiveness at dealing with concerning environmental trends and its impact on protecting and improving the environment.”